Street sweeping with water starts

BP Report
It is a good and timely move, on the part of the authorities concerned, to deal with the terrible dust pollution in the capital in the winter. But, is merely spraying water on different city streets good enough to tackle the pollution?
Indeed, to minimise the dust pollution, all the roads in the capital need to be swept with water every day, especially during the dry season, environment experts said.
An effective action plan coupled with strengthened monitoring system across the city can help reduce the pollution which is no longer an environmental issue as it is going to emerge as a major public health concern, they added.
Amid unchecked discharge of dust from construction works, rundown roads and many other sources, environment and health experts have said the city dwellers brace for terrible dust pollution in the capital in the upcoming winter if proper steps are not taken to deal with it. While moving in different city areas recently, our correspondent found dust was swirling everywhere due to unplanned construction of buildings and roads and footpaths and the absence of monitoring and enforcement of laws.

According to a report of World Health Organisation (WHO) released in May this year, Dhaka’s air quality ranked as the third most polluted in the world. Another WHO report, published in 2016, says over 37,000 Bangladeshis die annually from diseases related to air pollution.

It is possible to control the air pollution, mainly the unusual growth of dust, if the authorities concerned play their due role in a coordinated way.

The environment experts said the government needs to take quick measures to check pollution by brick kilns, vehicles and road and building construction.